Like millions of other Americans, the staff and board of Hispanic Federation were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of another mass shooting in our country; this time in Las Vegas. The deaths of 59 people and the injuries caused to more than 500 others by a lone gunman armed with a veritable arsenal of high-powered firearms has left us reeling. We recall, all too well, the terrible sadness we felt when we learned of the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando last year in what was, until this week, the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
“The families and friends of the victims of the Las Vegas shooting need our compassion and support right now,” said Hispanic Federation President José Calderón. “Las Vegas is a strong and proud community and we hope that the city’s nonprofit sector will have the resources it needs as it deals with the aftereffects of the shooting. Our own experience in Orlando after the Pulse shooting has been that the entire community has to undergo what can be a long and complicated process of grieving and recovery. It’s difficult work but essential work.”
The scope of the violence in Las Vegas has also renewed calls for stricter, federal gun control legislation. Hispanic Federation joins in those calls. “The truth is that mass shootings and loss of life like this are avoidable,” Calderón said. “We know that tough, targeted, enforceable gun control laws can reduce the likelihood of these events taking place. The problem is that we lack the political will as a nation to enact these measures. The end result is that gun violence is tearing us apart. We will continue to work with elected officials and other civic leaders to enact gun control legislation that can help end these tragedies.”
